HOLLYWOOD: A chorus line of dancing Stormtroopers kicked up their heels like Rockettes Thursday night at the American Film Institute’s 33rd Life Achievement Awards gala saluting

‘Star Wars’ creator George Lucas. William Shatner, who led the splashy musical salute at the Kodak Theatre, joked, “‘Star Trek’ changed everything, and aren’t these conventions wonderful?” Among the celebrities in attendance at the star-studded performance were Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Richard Dreyfuss, Billy Dee Williams, Chewbacca and Hugh Hefner, who escorted a posse of 10 playmates,, including one with her hair done up in Princess Leia buns. The most emotional moment of the evening came when original Star Wars players Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Chewy, C-3PO and R2-D2, backed by composer John Williams’ original score, performed a recreation of the closing medal ceremony scene from ‘Episode IV: A New Hope’. A muffled gasp was heard during a film-clip salute to Lucas featuring ‘King Kong’ director Peter Jackson, who has shed not only his scraggly beard but also 100 pounds. — USA Today